September 29, 2022

Managing Transitions Effectively and Humanely

By Ken Giglio, Principal of Mindful Leadership

“Transitions always begin with an ending,” counsels William Bridges, who wrote the classic Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. As an executive coach, I’ve often used Bridges’ change model when working with leaders and teams struggling to manage the reality of endings.

When something ends or changes, like a reorganization or the departure of team members, it best to see it as an external reality, something everyone agrees happened. A transition, on the other hand, is what occurs in the minds of individuals, groups, and teams as they grapple with loss and the lack of clarity around what comes next. Emotions such as shock, fear, and sadness are the natural byproducts of endings. Managing transitions takes empathy, insight, and skillful communication. We support ourselves and others through the acknowledgment that things will never be what they were and the uncertainty of a future that has not yet emerged.

What are you ending as we enter the last quarter of 2022? What needs to come to an end for something new to emerge and begin in your personal and/or professional life?